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Tang Chen floated in the air and looked down. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at the crystal ice sculpture on the ground. Inside the ice, Tang Hao looked frozen in a state of total shock and unwillingness. Tang Chen let out a cold snort. His voice sounded very clear in the middle of the silent ruins. He looked at the man who was supposed to be his father but felt no warmth.
Tang Hao, it does not matter what has happened between us. We are still connected by blood. Because of that, I will not kill my own father. I will not commit patricide today.
Tang Chen stopped talking for a moment. He looked at the ice sculpture again. There was no anger or hatred in his eyes anymore. He only felt indifference. It was the way a person looks at a small piece of dust on the ground. He did not see a powerful Titled Douluo. He only saw a broken man.
But I will definitely cripple you. You will never be a threat to anyone again.
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Chen raised his right hand toward the ice sculpture. He moved slowly and then clenched his fingers into a tight fist. A loud cracking sound filled the air, followed by a massive boom.
The sturdy ice sculpture did not just break. It exploded from the inside out. It was as if Tang Chen had planted a thousand small bombs inside the ice the moment he closed his hand. The ice did not shatter into sharp pieces. Instead, it turned into fine white snowflakes that drifted away. It was a beautiful but very destructive sight.
The moment the ice exploded, Tang Hao felt his entire body shake with violence. Even though he was badly hurt and frozen, he could feel everything. A powerful and cold force called Ultimate Ice moved through him. It felt like billions of tiny ice needles were moving through his body. These needles were precise. They tore through his meridians and his spirit power nodes. They froze his acupoints and left nothing untouched.
Tang Hao tried to scream, but he could only make a weak sound. His consciousness was still awake, so he felt every bit of the pain. It was the worst pain a spirit master could feel. He felt his very soul being torn apart. His aura, which used to be so strong and scary, began to leak out of him. It was like a balloon that had been poked with a needle. His power was disappearing into the air.
The cold power did not stop there. It went even deeper into his heart. It attacked the connection between his soul and his spirit. The Clear Sky Hammer had been with him his whole life. It was his pride and his glory. It was the symbol of the Clear Sky Sect.
But now, he heard a sound like glass breaking deep inside his soul. Under the pressure of the Ultimate Ice, the Clear Sky Hammer flickered like a candle in a storm. Finally, the light of the hammer went out. Its structure fell apart and turned into nothing.
In just a few seconds, Tang Hao's life changed forever. His meridians were broken and his spirit was destroyed. Without his spirit to hold it, his spirit power began to flow out of his body like water from a broken dam. He slumped onto the cold ground of the ruins. It looked like someone had removed his spine. He was weak and his breath was very thin. He was still alive, but he was nothing more than a cripple now.
Tang Chen did not look at Tang Hao again. He turned around and walked toward Yang Wudi and Niu Gao. He knew that Tang Hao still had six high-quality spirit bones inside his body. Most people would kill for those. However, Tang Chen did not care about them.
He had a different thought. He believed that once Tang Hao was no longer useful, Tang San would probably want those spirit bones for himself. He could imagine a future where the son turned on the father for power. It would be a very interesting show to watch.
The cold wind blew across the ruins. It picked up dust and ice crystals. Tang Hao, who was once the famous Clear Sky Douluo, lay on the ground like a pile of old rags. The glowing spots of his spirit power were fading away like dying fireflies. He coughed hard and blood came out of his mouth. The blood was dark and filled with small pieces of ice. He felt a terrible emptiness in his chest and his dantian.
Tang Hao did not want to believe what was happening. He used all his strength to prop himself up. His arm was shaking as he tried to call his spirit power. He waited for that heavy, powerful feeling of the hammer to appear in his hand. But his palm stayed empty. He tried again and again. The tiny bit of energy he had left just vanished.
What happened? Where is my spirit? No, this cannot be happening!
He let out a low roar. The veins on his forehead stood out because he was trying so hard. He used every bit of his willpower to summon the Clear Sky Hammer. But there was nothing. The stinging pain in his broken meridians told him the truth. His spirit was gone and it was never coming back. He was no longer a Titled Douluo.
By now, Tang Chen had reached Yang Wudi and Niu Gao. The two men were badly hurt. They looked at Tang Chen with fear and complicated feelings. They did not know if he was going to finish them off too. Tang Chen did not say anything at first.
He just stretched out his hand toward them. A soft blue and gold light came from his palm. It was pure life energy. This energy turned into many leaves of Blue Silver Emperor grass. The leaves wrapped around their wounds gently.
The warm energy went deep into their bodies. It stopped their bleeding and made the pain go away. It started to fix their damaged organs and meridians. Slowly, the color returned to their faces. They looked much better than they did a few minutes ago. Tang Chen eventually pulled his hand back. They were not 100% healed, but they were strong enough to sit up.
Thank you for saving us.
Niu Gao spoke with a heavy voice. He cupped his hands to show respect, but he still felt confused. Yang Wudi just stared at Tang Chen and kept his mouth shut.
Do not worry about it. I did not do it for thanks. I came here to ask you something important. Now that everything has changed, what are your plans for the future?
Niu Gao and Yang Wudi looked at each other. They saw a lot of sadness in each other's eyes. Their brothers had turned against them. Their homes were destroyed. Their families were in trouble. They did not know where to go or what to do next.
Tang Chen spoke again in a calm voice. He told them that the Clear Sky Sect could not be trusted. He reminded them that Spirit Hall was usually seen as an enemy. He pointed out that the four single-attribute families were not safe on their own.
If you two have no place to go, you should think about joining the organization I am building. I call it Spirit Hall.
Niu Gao looked shocked. He asked if he heard the name correctly. Tang Chen nodded and smiled at them.
Yes, Spirit Hall. It is a new place. I want to bring together spirit masters and families who do not want to serve the big sects. I want people who have real talent and good hearts. In my Spirit Hall, we do not care if your spirit is considered weak or strong. We only care about what you can do. Everyone will be equal. We will share everything and help each other survive.
Tang Chen looked at each of them. He told Yang Wudi that his clan's pill refining skills were amazing. He told Niu Gao that his clan's building skills were very important. He said that the new Spirit Hall needed these talents. He promised they would be respected and not treated like servants or soldiers meant to die in battle.
Senior Niu Gao, the other clans have chosen their own path. But your clans should not die here in these ruins. Spirit Hall can give you a home and the resources you need to grow. If you join me today, you will be the founding elders of the organization.
Yang Wudi was silent for a very long time. He finally looked up and spoke with a scratchy voice. He asked if Spirit Hall would really treat them fairly. He wanted to know if they would be forced to do things they hated. Tang Chen looked him right in the eyes.
He told him that joining was a choice. He said that anyone could leave if they wanted to. He explained that status was earned by helping the group, not by force. He promised he would never betray them.
Niu Gao took a deep breath. He asked Tang Chen if he was the leader of this Spirit Hall. Tang Chen admitted that he was the leader for now. But he explained that he wanted to build a fair system where important choices were made by everyone in the core group, not just one person.
The ruins became very quiet. Only the sound of the wind could be heard. Yang Wudi closed his eyes and thought hard. Niu Gao looked down at his rough hands. After a long moment, Yang Wudi opened his eyes.
He looked tired, but he had made a decision. He said he was willing to try. But he warned Tang Chen that if the Spirit Hall ever lied to them, the Breaking Clan would fight to the very end.
Niu Gao sighed and looked like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He agreed to take the gamble too. He said that if Spirit Hall ever did something evil or unfair, his Defense Clan would leave immediately and never come back.